Interview with Lana Raizen

Lana Raizen ("LR") interviewed on Thursday, 12 November.

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?

LR : I have nine years of my design career. My clients are from around the world: the United States, Spain, France, Germany, Cambodia, Turkey, Iraq, Ukraine and Russia of course. Among them are magazines, the largest manufacturers, cosmetics brands, automotive brands etc.

How did you become a designer?

LR : I have always loved drawing and traveling. But when it was time to choose a profession, I started to study at the hotel business and tourism management. After graduating from the Academy and having worked for several years in the field of tourism, I realized that I would not particularly succeed in traveling with this profession, and I don’t have enough time for creative work. Then I decided to become a graphic designer, but office work didn't attract me anymore, so I became a freelancer. So, I was able to both realize my creativity and travel. I studied web design courses at the University of Novosibirsk. But I acquired all the professional skills myself, watched educational videos, read design books.

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

LR : I prefer a light clean design, not overloaded with information or graphic elements. It is always more pleasant to watch a catalog or magazine with empty space, where the elements are arranged logically, and each has its own negative space, and it does not come into contact with another element.

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

LR : Concentration. To create a good design, you need to immerse yourself in work, focus on every detail. If there is a distraction, it will not allow you to perform work at 100% quality.

What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?

LR : I am very curious, I constantly read everything, study, even things not related to design. In addition, I can concentrate on the task, to immerse myself completely in the work. These are great qualities for a designer, because allow me to do work quickly and efficiently.

What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?

LR : For a long time, I only worked on projects with different clients. There was a period when I had my own business - the monthly magazine about the musical life of my hometown. And only a couple of years ago I decided to do something really personal, for the soul, not commercial. So, I created a graphic book “Siberia”. At about the same time, I decided to try participating in international design awards. I received a bronze at A'Design Award & Competition and silver and bronze at the Indigo Design Award. I want to continue to develop in design, to acquaint people with my works. In February of this year, I held an exhibition of my designs. I think that soon I will spend one more. In my country, there are practically no possibilities for all the goals that I want to achieve in design. So now I am thinking about moving to another country, in which I can continue to develop as a designer.

What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?

LR : Watch educational videos, read books about design, you can subscribe to the design community, they have a lot of useful information that helps to improve your skills. Engage in self-development and improve your skills.

What is your day to day look like?

LR : My usual day begins with a healthy breakfast and coffee, after which I get to work, or rather to read my mail, I reply to letters on new projects, or on current ones. And after that, I am directly engaged in the design of current projects. Depending on my workload, my working day ends at 10-11 pm. If there is a lot of work, then I have to stay until morning. But always before going to bed, I read a design digest or design news in professional communities. If I still have the energy, then I watch the video on the design in the hope of learning something new that I don’t know yet.

How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?

LR : I always try to follow the trends, but I do not always use them in my projects. Because most of the trends are now created only to stand out, but at the same time they are inconvenient. I want to say that in selling commercial design, using trends is not always a good idea, especially in my country, where people are more committed to the traditions and to the old and the familiar than to the new.

How do you know if a product or project is well designed? How do you define good design?

LR : First of all, I pay attention to the combination of colors and shades, then to the grid. If the layout is chaos, then I cannot call this design a good one. For me, a good design is a correct, concise, built on a grid, but not without creativity the layout with harmoniously selected colors.

What is your biggest design work?

LR : My biggest pride is my own project - a book about Siberia. Everything from the idea and the creation of the concept to the final layout is my work. I really like the result, and working on this project I received great pleasure.

Who is your favourite designer?

LR : I have no idols, I work in my own style and I am inspired not by people, but by nature. But I like the design attitude and some of the work of Chris Do.

Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?

LR : The city in which I definitely fell in love - Newport in Oregon, US. I have never met such an unusual place with its pleasant atmosphere. I enjoy rock music, but at the same time I have periods when I listen to neoclassical music, it all depends on the inner state of the soul. Now I live in Russia, in the near future I plan to go on a trip to Europe, to be inspired by new beauties and ideas.

Would you tell us more about your work culture and business philosophy?

LR : All my clients say that it is very easy to work with me, I understand the task from a half-word. There are even moments when the client does not know what he or she wants, but I guess his desires. I adore my work and my regular clients; they are wonderful people.

What positive experiences you had when you attend the A’ Design Award?

LR : It is always a pleasure to win prizes, and now I know this from my own experience. After the winning, I began to receive more feedback, there are more new customers.

Lana Raizen Profile